Big Ben is Too Big!

On Sunday 28 April 2019, more than forty-two thousand people ran the London Marathon … more than ever before.

Lukas Bates, a 30-year-old from Maidstone in Kent, was one of them. He wanted to break a world record. He wanted to run the fastest marathon time … wearing a landmark costume. The landmark he chose was Big Ben, London’s famous clock tower.

But there was a problem! Lukas’s costume of Big Ben was too tall! He needed help to cross the finish line! Lots of people saw the funny video. Lukas raised more than six times his target for the charities, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Dementia Revolution.

In total, runners of the 39th London marathon raised a record-breaking amount of more than a billion pounds for charity.

This year Brigid Kosgei became the youngest ever women’s winner at age 25 and Eliud Kipchoge won the men’s race for the fourth time in a stunning course record of 2 hours 2 minutes and 37 seconds.

Kipchoge said, “The crowd in London is wonderful … from the first kilometre to the last, everybody is shouting.”

What’s your favourite sport?

Do you like running?

What is a famous landmark from your country?